A Song Only You Can Hear
by theicemenace
Summary: Rodney and Jennifer go on a romantic picnic or do they?
1. The Darkness Shows You the Stars

"_You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can __hear__.__"_ ~ Author Unknown

**A Song Only You Can Hear**

**Chapter One**

**The Darkness Shows You the Stars**

The Jumper lifted off and banked around to head toward the sunset. Jennifer looked out the window puzzled. "Rodney, what are you doing? This isn't the way to Atlantis."

His smiled smugly. "It's a surprise." He set the autopilot and walked to the back of the Jumper. Pulling down several overhead storage compartments he removed an air mattress, sleeping bags, pillows, a tent and an insulated cooler. "_We _are having a picnic under the stars just as I promised."

Jennifer was speechless for a moment. "I thought you'd forgotten."

"That was the plan." He moved back to the pilot seat and switched the controls back to manual. Jennifer put her arms around him from behind and nuzzled his ear.

"Mmm. I love you, Rodney McKay."

He took her hand and kissed the palm. "And I love _you_, Jennifer Keller."

*****

"So where is this place you're taking me?" Jennifer was excited and curious but mostly excited.

"One of the teams found it on a scouting mission shortly after we arrived on New Athos. There's an open field, some caves, woods, and a small lake. We'll be all alone for two whole days. We can hike, swim, watch the stars, whatever we want."

"Mmm. Sounds like…fun."

He looked over at her. Every day he thanked God that she was in his life and loved him. Reluctantly he turned back to the HUD. "Look." He pointed. "There it is."

A few minutes later he landed the Jumper and they disembarked. Jennifer looked around at tall trees that reached bright green leaves toward a sky that was blue and cloudless. The lake was a shimmering crystalline blue and she was speechless.

"What do you think?"

"Rodney, it's…amazing."

He put his arms around her and his head on her shoulder. "So, impressed with the man who loves you?"

She turned to face him. "Always! This is just a little icing on the cake."

"Oh, I love cake! Um, just a little?"

Her lips met his. "Mmm. Depends on what else you have planned."

He waggled his eyebrows. "That's a secret." Rodney went back into the Jumper and brought out a pair of folding chairs. He opened one, positioned it where he could see the lake, the woods and the gently rolling hills that included the caves. He bade Jennifer to sit then handed her a chilled bottle of her favorite beer.

"Huh? Don't you need help bringing out the equipment?"

He placed a hand over his heart. "I will do that. You will drink your beer and enjoy the view. Let _me_ worry about everything else." She looked at him, her eyes wide. "What? Oh, I know what you're thinking but I'm all alone up here." He pointed to his head. "Now sit. Drink. Enjoy."

*****

Rodney chose a spot for their camp far enough from the Jumper so that it seemed like they were roughing it. Then, employing his vast intelligence, some strategically place grunts and groans and judicious use of swearing, he eventually had all of the equipment necessary for their nights under the stars unpacked and set up. The tent was pitched nearby in case it got chilly during the night and the air mattress was filled and ready for sleeping. Once that was accomplished, he began getting the food ready for their picnic. It wasn't difficult. The Mess Hall staff had done all the work. All he had to do was take it out of the insulated containers and serve.

Jennifer had orders not to turn around until told to so she kept her face resolutely toward the sun setting over the lake. She marveled at the colors: shades of pink, red, yellow and orange that are possible only in nature and later, when the sun was nearly gone, purple made an appearance.

Scents drifted on the warm breeze, so Earth-like yet not. Birds sang their last song of the day then were silent. One fearless creature that looked like an Indigo Bunting sang until the sun was completely down as if singing the sun to sleep.

"Okay."

Jennifer turned to see that Rodney had spread a red and white checked tablecloth on the ground and set out roasted chicken, tossed salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, avocado and bleu cheese dressing, rolls, and chocolate covered strawberries. There was also a bottle of Australian Sauvignon Blanc Semillon chilled and ready to pour into crystal wine flutes.

"Wow! It all looks great. I'm starving."

"Yeah. Me too. Shall we?" He offered her his arm and she hooked her hand through it.

They were about to start eating when the warm breeze turned colder. They tossed everything into the cooler and moved into the tent. Supper was consumed, wine was drunk and pleasant conversation was enjoyed.

He'd promised her they would lay out under the stars so they moved the air mattress outside, covered it with one of the sleeping bags unzipped and laid flat then covered themselves with the other.

"Do you know the names of any of the constellations?'

He didn't but pretended to. "Uh, yeah. Let's see…over there is The Treasurer, better known as Caspar. He's a very friendly constellation. And there is Drake the Dragon. One of the suns is in the process of going nova."

"Hmm. And over there?"

"That would be the constellation, ummm…Fred."

Jennifer giggled. "Fred? And I suppose that one next to it is Wilma?"

Rodney pulled her close. "Exactly. I _knew_ you were smart."

"Oh, look! A shooting star." Jennifer closed her eyes. "Quick! Make a wish."

"Don't need to. I have everything I want."

"Everything?" She was skeptical but only a little.

"Well, aside from a Nobel Prize."

"Of course."

She snuggled close and they just lay there together watching the sky.

*****

The next morning they were both jolted awake by a loud crashing sound. "What-" Rodney sneezed in the cool morning air. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. It's coming from the direction of the Jumper." She tossed back the sleeping bag they'd used as a blanket. They'd both fallen asleep fully dressed including their shoes. "Oh, man. I _really_ gotta pee."

"Yeah, me too. They never show _this_ part in the movies." He complained. They went behind nearby bushes and were back in less than five minutes.

As they walked toward the Jumper Jennifer handed Rodney a bottle of hand sanitizer. He was still rubbing his hands together when they rounded a large boulder shielding the Jumper from their sight and came to a stumbling halt.

"Oh, no!" Somehow, the Jumper had been flipped over onto its roof with the upper edge of the hatch imbedded nearly six inches into ground. They rushed forward examining it from all sides. It seemed to be okay other than being upside down. He tried the remote but the hatch remained frustratingly closed.

"Rodney! What could have done that?" He didn't answer and she turned to see him crouched near a large patch of flattened grass and small bushes.

"Whatever it was, it was big."

"So, what do we do now? Can you still fly it like this?"

He sighed as he brushed dirt from his hands. "Yes, if I can get inside and it's not damaged beyond repair."

She rubbed her hand up and down his arm, giving him a confident smile. "We'll figure it out."

He pulled her close to his side. "Of course we will. But there's one other problem."

"What?"

"The _weapons_ are in the Jumper. If whatever that was comes back…"

Jennifer hung her head for a moment then brought her eyes up to meet Rodney's. "We are so _screwed._"

*****

The coolness of the morning had turned warm by the time they'd eaten what was left of their meal from the night before. They shed their jackets and continued with the task of digging out the top edge of the hatch so it could be opened. The ground was hard packed and difficult to move with what they had as tools.

Jennifer sat back on her heels and wiped perspiration from her forehead leaving behind a streak of dirt. The spoon she was using made her task difficult because it kept bending at the neck. She reached for a knife to break up the larger chunks of dirt and the roots of the grass around the hatch while Rodney did the same on the other side.

They both looked up when they heard tearing, screeching and metal rending. Without a word they headed back to the camp darting from boulder to tree to large bush to boulder again. There they found that the last of their food was gone and the tent, camp chairs, air mattress and other items had been torn to shreds and broken as if crushed by a heavy weight.

"There goes the last of the food." Rodney stated with a sigh. "At least there're MREs and water in the Jumper."

"The water in the lake is potable. It may not be the cleanest but at least we won't become dehydrated. We'll get into the Jumper soon and get you something to eat."

"You have to eat too, Jennifer."

"True. But _I'm_ not hypoglycemic. You should be fine for few more hours at least."

"Yeah. Come on. Let's get back to digging." They returned to their task.

*****

Hours later they'd finally cleared enough dirt to open the hatch. Items that had been lying loose around the cabin were now on the ceiling which was temporarily posing as the floor. Rodney did a preliminary systems check and found that everything seemed to be in working order. All he had to do was find a way to get himself into the pilot's seat in order to turn the Jumper right side up.

Jennifer gathered up all the items lying around and secured them in a side storage area. Except for the life signs detector, which she slipped into her back pocket, just in case. She then began the hunt for the food stores she knew were here. Ah! MREs, power bars, canteens of water, and a couple of bars of chocolate for dessert. These she stuffed into a backpack though she wasn't sure why. She was confident that Rodney would figure out how to right the Jumper and they'd return to Atlantis. The romantic picnic could be continued at a later date. Maybe someplace where weird things didn't happen. She laughed to herself. That left what? Chippewa Falls?

Rodney was fully engrossed and didn't hear the sound of rustling grass and hissing. Jennifer looked out the front window but the trees were still indicating there was no wind. What could be making that noise? She went to the hatch and stuck her head out. The sounds were louder now as if something were coming closer. When she saw what it was her eyes widened in fright.

"R-R-Rodney." She stammered as she backed up.

"Hmm? Almost done." He answered distractedly.

"Rodney!" Now she was close enough to poke him in the back.

"What?" She pointed then threw herself into his arms. "Oh, my God!" He whispered in horror.

**TBC**


	2. Waiting for the Night

"_You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can __hear__.__"_ ~ Author Unknown

**A Song Only You Can Hear**

**Chapter Two**

**Waiting for the Night**

Jennifer trembled in Rodney's arms. He'd never seen her so frightened. Her fair skin had gone almost bone white. He drew a hand down her hair and held her tight to provide comfort.

"Oh, I _hate_ snakes!" She declared vehemently.

"Considering its size, me too." He'd once read an article about the remains of an enormous snake discovered in an open coal mine in Columbia, South America. Its length was 43 feet and it weighed in at an estimated 2,500 pounds. The one they'd just seen was easily double the size of its fossilized Earth cousin.

His mind had just started to recap what he knew about snakes when the creature's tail slithered passed the open hatch. As it did so, it flicked the side of the Jumper flipping it over onto its side and bouncing the couple around. Fortunately, they had been leaning against the side that now served as the floor and weren't badly injured. Unfortunately, the pilot's seat was now on the ceiling. "If we can get it to do that one more time then we'll be right side up and can get out of here."

"So it _does_ work."

"Mmm. Yeah. At least all of the systems check out." They climbed to their feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm just-I've kind of had this, uh, fear of snakes ever since I was a kid."

He took her by the hand. "I'm sorry our romantic getaway is more about how to get away from a giant reptile than getting away from work."

To his surprise, she laughed. "But at least we're spending some quality time together." He laughed too and was glad to see her color was better.

They walked cautiously to the open hatch and looked out. She pressed herself against his back looking over his shoulder. The creature was nowhere to be seen. "Let's get some supplies together and go hide in the caves. If that's where it sleeps at night we should be okay until the temperature starts to drop. While it's warm it will be out in the sun."

"So when it gets cold _we_ get to sleep outside and _it_ gets to sleep in the cave? I don't think that's very fair."

"It was here first and it can swallow both of us without even blinking. That trumps 'fair' any day of the week."

"True. Let's get out of here before it comes back and decides the Jumper is edible."

Rodney rummaged around in some locked storage boxes and came up with several weapons: two nine mils, a stunner and wonder of wonders, four blocks of C4. He had no idea if any of it would be effective against the snake but it was better than nothing. One of the nine mils he gave to Jennifer. She checked the chamber, flicked on the safety, stuck it in the back waistband of her slacks and covered it with her jacket. She also pocketed two of the four spare cartridges and shouldered the emergency medkit. Rodney did the same with his own nine mil then put the stunner into the backpack along with the C4 and put it on.

She handed him the life signs detector so he could keep track of the snake's whereabouts. Then he got out the data pad and brought up a map of the area. They made a quick check of their supplies and headed for the caves.

*****

"You can put me down now." Jennifer told Rodney when they finally reached the cave. She'd sprained her ankle when her feet had gotten tangled in vines creeping through the undergrowth in the forested area that edged up to the cave opening.

He did as requested and held onto her arms as she lowered herself onto a boulder just inside the cave mouth. He swung the medkit from his shoulder and placed it beside her so she could reach it then shucked the backpack. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Hand me a bottle of water." She used it to swallow a couple of Tylenol. "Will you hold my leg while I wrap the ankle?"

"How about_ I_ do that?" He sat down next her and held her leg across his knees. "Just let me know if it's too loose or too tight." His eyes on his task, he cleared his throat then said, "So, in addition to being afraid of snakes you're also afraid of squirrels? Or rather squirrel-like creatures?"

"Noo-oo." She rolled her eyes. "It just…startled me when it ran over my foot."

He laughed openly now. "Startled? You _screamed _like a littlegirl."

She crossed her arms, trying not to laugh herself. "_You _should talk after what happened when you ran into that spider web."

"Well, excu-uuse me! But the last time someone ran into a huge web Sheppard ended up with an Iratus bug attached to his neck. I didn't want that to happen to me…or you, of course."

"Of course."

He finished wrapping her ankle then slipped her sock back on. She turned herself around until her back was against the wall and her leg was elevated. This part of the cave was approximately the size of the Jumper though it would have been a tight squeeze. It was dank smelling and damp. Just your typical everyday cave…well, except for the super-sized snake lurking about.

Rodney excused himself and stepped outside. He was gone so long she was about to call out when he finally returned. In one hand he held a long branch stripped of its leaves and smaller branches. It was approximately fifteen centimeters in circumference and just under two meters in length. He was also looking very self-satisfied. "What's that?"

"_This_ is a walking stick. As romantic as it sounds, carrying you through the forest is not feasible for safety reasons. We have to be able to defend ourselves if we encounter Henry."

"Henry?"

"Yeah, well we can't keep calling the snake _it_, can we?"

"I guess not. Henry it is." She levered herself to her feet using the walking stick for balance as she reached for the backpack containing their food supplies.

"What are you doing?"

"It's my turn to make dinner, such as it is."

He moved the pack out of her reach. "No, that's my job. At least until you can walk." She didn't answer and he turned to see her staring at him in awe. "What?"

"Nothing. Have I told you lately that I love you?" His shy embarrassed smile was back. _Oh, I _love_ that smile!_

"Yes. But don't let that stop you from saying it."

She hopped over and kissed him.

*****

"When do you think we should head back to the Jumper?" Jennifer asked after they'd finished eating MREs. She peered out at the lengthening shadows and could already feel the temperature falling.

"We're not. This cave, or at least this part of it, isn't nearly big enough for Henry to fit into it."

"That's a relief. My ankle is throbbing and I'm too tired to hop all the way back."

Rodney stood and flicked on one of the high-powered flashlights they'd brought with them. "I think I'll go explore a bit."

"Okay. Don't be gone long and don't get lost."

"I won't. Try to rest. I'll be back soon." He disappeared around a bend at the back of the cave. She watched until the light faded then removed her jacket to use as a pillow and stretched out on the ground. A few minutes later she fell into a light sleep.

*****

Jennifer shot to a sitting position confused about where she was for a moment and wondering what had awakened her. A hissing and slithering sound came from outside. Her breath started coming in gasps when she saw Henry slither past the opening, but she needn't have worried. He kept going without even so much as a glance in her direction.

Rodney returned at that moment. "Hey."

"Hey. Henry just went by on his way home for the night. Are you sure it'll be okay to stay here?"

"We'll be fine. And I've got bad news, good news, worse news and not-so-bad news."

"Okay. Let's hear it in order."

"The snake's name will need to be changed." He let himself down next to her.

"To what?"

"Henrietta."

Jennifer's eyes widened. "No!"

"Yes. I found a nest filled with eggs the size of the backpack. The good news is that they don't look like they will be hatching soon."

She sighed. "What's the worse news?"

"Well, finding the nest means that Henrietta's _mate_ is out there somewhere."

"Do I even _want_ to know what the not-so-bad news is?"

"Probably not. I'm going to leave you here while I go back to the Jumper and see if I can get it right side up again. I'll leave the stunner with you and take the C4 just in case."

He got her settled comfortably in a corner away from the cave opening with the stunner, the nine mil and her headset then headed out.

*****

Though he'd tried to appear calm for Jennifer's sake but the truth was he was scared. He knew the snakes would be somewhere that would provide warmth for the night but what if these weren't like the snakes back on Earth? Not to mention there could be all sorts of other creatures out there in the dark.

Despite his fears, he arrived at the Jumper without incident.

He stood on storage containers to reach the controls but it refused to start. One or more of the control crystals must have been damaged. He preferred to work during the day even though there was a greater chance of running into Henrietta and her mate. And he would need some assistance from Jennifer….well, not really but he didn't want to leave her alone for much longer and refused to leave her in the cave while he worked. And if she was here they could leave immediately when repairs to the Jumper were completed.

Rooting through the storage compartments that were now on the ceiling brought gold: blankets! They wouldn't freeze tonight. More searching failed to turn up anything else they might be able to use so Rodney stuffed the blankets into another backpack then stepped out into the night.

He decided to take a quick turn past the destroyed campsite to see if they'd missed anything that could be salvaged. There were scraps of the sleeping bags spread all over. He gathered up some of the larger pieces just in case. One of the folding chairs was salvageable as well. He tucked it under one arm and headed out.

*****

"Jennifer? Jennifer?" Rodney kept his left arm close to his body and as still as possible. Even so, the pain was incredible. He used one foot to gently nudge her awake so he wouldn't have to bend over.

"Rodney, you're back." She yawned and stretched.

"Yeah. And I kind of need your help."

That brought her wide awake and she finally looked up at him. His right knee had an abrasion and his clothing was dirt-streaked. There were scratches all over his face and arms, at least on the parts that showed beneath the tears in the sleeves of his jacket. He also had the beginnings of a black eye. Her gaze finally settled on his left arm which was hanging at an odd angle. "Rodney! What happened? How did you dislocate your shoulder?"

"It's a short and embarrassing story that I will tell you tomorrow while we fix the Jumper."

"No, it isn't…"

"Yes, it wouldn't power up and I didn't want to leave you alone too long. Now it looks like I'll need your help to fix it."

Jennifer nodded. "Sit down." She stood and rested the knee of her injured leg on the rock next to Rodney's hip for balance. "I need to manually relocate your shoulder. It's going to hurt but try not to move." She manipulated Rodney's arm in a specific set of motions and a few moments later he gave a short scream of pain. Using one of the larger scraps of cloth he'd collected from the campsite she put his arm in a sling then passed him two of the Tylenol from her medkit.

After she tended to his other injuries they carefully lowered themselves to the ground. She rummaged in the backpack and came up with one of the chocolate bars. "I think we deserve a treat after the day we've had." Unwrapping the sweet indulgence, she broke off two equal size pieces then folded the wrapper back around the remainder and put it away. "Open." She slipped a piece into his mouth then the rest into her own. He put his good arm around her shoulders while she covered them with one of the blankets. Both were exhausted and were asleep within minutes.

*****

"Just five more minutes please, dad? I was up all night studying for a mid-term." Jennifer mumbled against Rodney's shoulder when he shook her.

"Jennifer!" He whispered back urgently. "Wake up but _don't move!_"

"Rodney? What's going on?"

"Sh-sh! Don't move!"

She opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath to scream but the hand around her shoulder slid up to cover her mouth preventing it from escaping. In front of them was a very large snake. It was olive green with black blotches the length of the body, at least the parts they could see. The head was narrow compared to the rest of the body with orange-yellow stripes on either side and was roughly half the size of Henrietta. Still, it took up nearly all the room in the cave they'd taken refuge in.

The good news? It was asleep.

The bad news? It was between them and the exit.

**TBC**


	3. The Blue Fields of the Sky

"_You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can __hear__.__"_ ~ Author Unknown

**A Song Only You Can Hear**

**Chapter Three**

**The Blue Fields of the Sky**

Jennifer drew her legs slowly to her chest, turned her face into Rodney's neck and clutched him tight. His arm around her shoulders tightened as well. Both their heart rates increased dramatically and the smell of sweat wafted past her nose. She couldn't tell if the trembling was him, her or both. All she knew was they had to get away from the snake as soon as possible before one of them had a full-blown panic attack. If she was a gambling woman her money would have been on herself with Rodney coming in a very close second. She almost laughed at the picture in her head of the two of them running in circles and screaming. It helped calm her just a little.

"Rodney," she whispered, "I know this isn't the t-t-time but I've _really_ got to p-p-pee again."

He shook with a silent chuckle. "Me, too, but I doubt that Max would allow us to leave without a fuss."

The sun was just coming up and a wedge of light had appeared in the mouth of the cave. Rodney and Jennifer watched as the light moved slowly toward the snake's tail. The appendage began to twitch in the warmth and a head rose up weaving drunkenly side to side. This was obviously Henrietta's mate; they were identical except in size. He slowly uncurled as if stretching the kinks out after a long night spent sleeping in the same position then slithered away without paying the humans the least bit of attention.

She shivered in revulsion. They both breathed a sigh of relief and pulled slowly apart. "Is it okay for us to panic now?"

"Yes, I think so." He gestured. "Ladies first."

The ridiculousness of their conversation made her laugh instead and he joined her. The sound pierced the tension and it floated away. "He's a lot smaller than she is." She remarked as she struggled to her feet and sat on the boulder.

He nodded. "They look a little like Green Anacondas. The females are significantly larger than the males and they have the largest sexual dimorphism of all species of snakes. Well, that is, if we were on Earth and they were Anacondas. Who knows how things work here in Pegasus."

She waggled her eyebrows at him. "That sounds just a little naughty." Her voice became husky and suggestive. "Oh, baby, you have the _largest_ sexual dimorphism I have _ever_ seen."

"Oh, ow, ah! That is _so _funny." She stuck her tongue out at him as he got to his feet with much grunting and groaning then passed her the backpack with their food supplies. "It's your turn to make breakfast, Ms. Youngman."

*****

Somewhat fortified by their meal of power bars and water, Jennifer and Rodney made their way slowly and quietly back to the Jumper. When they arrived both breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of the snakes was in evidence.

Inside, Jennifer helped Rodney get out the tools he would need to make repairs then sat on one of the storage containers. She had the open tool box on her lap ready to pass him the tools he would need. Her walking stick was close in case she needed to provide an extra hand.

It wasn't long before he had the Jumper repaired though it was still on its side with the pilot's seat out of reach. Jennifer was just about to ask what was next when they both heard the now-familiar slithering swishing sound of a snake moving through the grass.

Rodney moved to the hatch and looked out. "It's Henrietta. She's coming this way." He backed up until he was beside Jennifer again. She reached up and took his hand. "I was thinking that I might be able to use the C4 to flip the Jumper upright. If a small amount is detonated in the right place, or places, it would give us just enough of a kick."

"But what if you use too much or not enough? The Jumper could be damaged beyond repair and we could be hurt. Can we call that plan B or even C?"

"Okay. But what do we do for a plan A?"

"Ummm, wait for Atlantis to come for us? When are we due back?"

He carefully turned his left wrist to check the time. "Not for another nine hours. They won't send someone out to check on us until we've been overdue at least an hour so make that ten hours or more."

"So what do we do until then?"

He lowered himself to the floor and put his head in her lap. "Well, I have a few ideas but unfortunately we aren't in any shape for some of them."

"Oooo, Dr. McKay, are you making a pass at me?"

"Hmm." He pretended to think it over. "Yeah, sort of half-heartedly."

"Only half?"

"Well, maybe a little more than half. I was actually thinking of playing cards."

"Oh. We have cards?"

He opened the storage locker next to him and handed her the box with a small flourish. "I put a deck in each of the Jumpers after we got out of the Genii mining facility just in case. Now we won't have to play 'Who Would You Rather…' because I would 'rather' with you than anyone else."

She smiled her thanks then opened the box and shuffled. "Ditto. Besides, that game is only fun with more than two people anyway."

"Silly girl." Rodney pulled a large relatively flat storage container over and placed it between them then got out a pad and pen while she dealt. "Okay, the game is Gin. We'll play to 500 points and the winner gets to choose the next game."

"Okay, you're on. But I warn you, I'm very good at this game."

"Don't play much myself. Not anymore." He told her.

"Why not?"

"No one will play with me."

She laughed at the childish phrase and picked up her cards.

*****

"Sam said _I_ was ruthless at Gin but _you_ just blew me out of the water."

Jennifer laughed. "Dad taught me when I was about ten. We used to play all the time." She sighed. "I miss him."

Rodney took her hand. "I know. I miss Jeannie and Madison, too. Oh, and uh, Kaleb. Sort of."

"Well, as the winner it is my turn to choose the next game." She reclaimed her hand and removed her jacket.

He picked up the cards and began to shuffle. "So what's your pleasure, Dr. Keller?"

"Exactly. _Pleasure_ is the name of this game." She took the cards from him and placed them on the makeshift table then pushed him onto his back.

"Oh, Dr. Keller, I think I'm going to like this game. Just be gentle with me." He indicated his left arm still in a sling.

She stripped off her shirt, straddled his hips and gave him a sensuous smile. "No promises, Dr. McKay."

*****

Jennifer and Rodney had fallen asleep in each other's arms when they were awakened by the shaking of the Jumper. They climbed to their feet slipping their jackets on again and looking out the front window. Jennifer's ankle was better and she was able to stand unaided though the walking stick was nearby just in case.

Henrietta was back. She bumped the Jumper repeatedly as she slithered past. They watched in shock and revulsion as Max, her mate, approached.

The two giant snakes faced each other warily then lunged together. They twisted around each other and began rolling back and forth across the clearing in front of them. A tail, they couldn't tell whose, lashed out with great force and smacked the side of the Jumper. It rolled over and over tossing the couple inside and all the loose objects around like so many pebbles in a tin can. By the time it came to a stop right side up just a few feet from the lake, both had been knocked unconscious.

*****

Rodney's eyes snapped open to see Jennifer kneeling over him, a small flashlight in her hand. She'd been checking his pupil reactions when he suddenly regained consciousness.

"Oh! Ow! What happened? Where are we?" He tried to sit up but Jennifer and a wave of dizziness prevented it. "Whoa!"

"_You_ tell _me_. I need to see what you remember."

His closed his eyes. "Uh, picnic. We went on a picnic."

"Good. What else?"

"There were giant snakes." His forehead hurt. He reached up to rub it and encountered a bandage. "How did I get hurt? And why is my arm in a sling?"

She mentally checked off short-term memory loss on her list of symptoms for a concussion. Instead of answering she asked, "Do you feel nauseous or have blurred vision?"

"Uh…yeah, both. Why? What hap-" His eyes closed and he drifted off again.

He'd just confirmed he had a concussion. Jennifer continued her examination but decided that he probably didn't have any internal bleeding. She'd have him checked as soon as they returned to Atlantis just to be sure and it would have to be soon. She didn't have the ATA gene so there was nothing to do but wake him. Though it was contraindicated she would have to give him something to keep him awake long enough to fly the Jumper and get them home. It was a good thing the trip would take less than thirty minutes.

She reached into her medkit for the vial of stimulant and, saying a silent prayer while she swabbed, jabbed the needle into his arm.

*****

"Wha-what's going on?" Rodney was now awake and Jennifer was helping him to stand. It wasn't an easy task with her sore ankle and his lack of cooperation.

"Rodney! You _have_ to stand up. You're injured and we have to get back to Atlantis quickly. I can't fly the Jumper so you have to."

"If you say so." He gave her a loopy grin. "You are so pretty. I love you."

"I know, honey. Come on, into the pilot's seat."

He did as she requested but kept hold of her hand when she tried to move to the seat to his right. "Jennifer, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, when we get back to Atlantis. Right now, you need to fly the Jumper."

He still gripped her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back. "Will you marry me?"

**TBC**


	4. Close Your Eyes

"_You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can __hear__.__"_ ~ Author Unknown

**A Song Only You Can Hear**

**Chapter Four**

**Close Your Eyes When You Kiss, Cry or Dream**

"I think we should have a couple of kids, too."

_Married? Children? _Jennifer's heart skipped a beat and shock made her speechless. _He doesn't know what he's saying. He won't remember this tomorrow. _

"Rodney, just fly. We can talk about it later."

His vision wavered and he refused to let go of her hand. "Not until you say yes."

"Okay. Yes, I will marry you and we'll have two kids, a boy and a girl. What do you say to that?"

"That would be great. We'll call them Carson and Elizabeth Keller-McKay."

"Of course we will. Now let's go home!"

"Yes, ma'am. Here we go!" The Jumper lifted off then banked around toward the East. "Whoa! I don't feel so good." He put a hand to his head blinking rapidly.

"Can you put it on autopilot?"

"Uh…yeah." He searched the console. "Do you know how to do that?"

She went to his side again, her voice calm. "No. _You_ have to do it, Rodney. Please try to concentrate."

"Okay, uh…oh, here it is." He pressed a few buttons and the autopilot engaged. A moment later he passed out.

Jennifer felt a twinge of pain so she went back to her seat. Though he was unconscious somehow the HUD was still active. She looked over the information displayed and saw that they would return to Atlantis sooner than she thought. A sigh of relief pushed out of her as she leaned back in her seat, eyes straight ahead.

After what felt like an eternity, Atlantis finally came into view. She tapped her headset. "Atlantis, this is Dr. Keller on board Jumper 3. We have a medical emergency! Dr. McKay is injured and not able to land." There was no answer. "Atlantis, please come in! This is a medical emergency!"

Static crackled in her ear and she'd never been so happy to hear Chuck's voice. "Jumper 3, this is Atlantis. We hear you. Your autopilot has been engaged and will bring you safely into the Jumper Bay. Medical has been contacted and will meet you there. What are the injuries?"

"Oh, thank God!" She gave him a quick rundown of their injuries which he in turn relayed to medical. A few seconds later she saw the bay doors opening but she didn't breathe easy until the hatch opened and the medical team swarmed around them.

Jennifer started issuing orders as soon as the hatch opened then protested when Dr. Johansson and one of the nurses urged her onto a stretcher. "I'm fine. I need to-"

"Not this time, Dr. Keller." Dr. Robert Johansson, a tall slender man with dark skin, pointed first at himself then at her, "Doctor. Patient." The nurse connected the safety straps over Jennifer's legs and torso then the two of them pushed her in the direction Rodney had been taken.

*****

Rodney groaned and carefully opened his eyes. The steady beep, beep of the heart monitor greeted him. He blinked rapidly a few times and his vision cleared. Across the room he could see Amanda Cole talking intently to Jennifer. Amanda took Jennifer's hand and gave it a squeeze. Jennifer nodded and turned away. She seemed to have a look of sadness in her eyes until she saw that he was awake then her face lit up.

"Rodney! How do you feel?"

He let his head fall back to the pillow, a hand on his forehead. "I feel like a giant snake knocked us down a hill. Ow!" He looked down at himself, shifting on the hospital bed. His left arm was still in a sling and his ribs hurt but didn't feel broken. "Everything hurts but my feet."

"At least you remember what happened."

"How did we get back to Atlantis? Did they come after us?"

He didn't remember taking off…or proposing. "You got us in the air and used the autopilot. The good thing is you don't have any internal bleeding and you'll be out of here in a day or so."

"No, the good thing is _you're_ okay. I don't care about myself."

A look passed over her face and was gone so quickly he might have imagined it. She smoothed a hand over his cheek. "That's sweet. What else do you remember?"

"Our romantic picnic was a disaster except for that first night. Though we _did_ get to spend some time alone even if most of it was spent hiding from a pair of giant snakes." He squeezed her hand.

"Are you hungry?"

"Mmm, I could eat. Dr. Keller, would you have dinner with me?"

She smiled. "I would be delighted, Dr. McKay."

*****

Two days later Rodney and Jennifer had both been released from the infirmary. She insisted on walking him to his quarters. His shoulder and ribs were still sore and he would need help changing clothes.

She wanted to stay with him but was afraid she wouldn't have the fortitude to keep her secret. Amanda had done all the tests herself and the results were password protected so there was no chance that someone would let it slip. It would stay just between her and Amanda.

*****

It was nighttime in Atlantis. Jennifer was watching Rodney sleep and going over the news Amanda had given her before he'd awakened in the infirmary. It had made her more than a little sad and it was all she could do not to cry in front of him.

She crawled into the bed next to him pressing herself against his good right side, turned out the bedside light and pulled the covers up to her chin. Sleep claimed her within a few minutes.

*****

"Jennifer, is everything okay? You haven't been yourself for a couple of weeks." Rodney had a hold of her hand and looked at her with concern. Today was the first day he'd gone without the sling and his shoulder throbbed though he ignored it.

"I'm fine. Those snakes must have scared me more than I thought." She smiled to dispel his concern. "I'll be fine."

"I know this will sound more than a little odd coming from me but maybe you should go see the staff psychologist."

She nodded. "I just might do that. And it's not odd at all, honey. It just shows how much you care about my mental as well as physical health."

He squeezed her hand. "Want me to make you an appointment?"

"No, I'll do it. Promise."

Jennifer waited until Rodney was gone before making an appointment as promised. He was able to see her the next morning after breakfast. She felt better for just having made the call. Her problem wasn't the snakes as she'd told Rodney and she had an idea what the psychologist would say. She wasn't looking forward to either conversation but she had never backed down from a challenge before and wouldn't do so now.

_Nothing's wrong with me. I was just getting used to being pregnant and now it's over, that's all. I didn't even get a chance to tell you. You'll blame yourself for me losing the baby because it was your idea to go on the picnic. At least now I know how you feel about having children._

*****

Jennifer took a deep breath then let it out slowly. Just as she'd predicted, the psychologist gave her the same advice she'd given herself. It wouldn't get any easier no matter how long she stood outside Rodney's quarters so she touched the chime to announce her presence. The door opened and Rodney gestured her in. He was surprised to see her there as they had planned to meet later for movie night.

"Rodney, we have to talk."

She declined to sit and he collapsed into the chair himself. "Uh-oh. Nothing good ever comes after the words 'we have to talk'."

"It's not as bad as you think, honey." She took another deep breath. "Okay, the easiest way is to just say it. Rodney, when we went on the picnic, I was pregnant."

"_Pregnant_? Wait, you said _was_. You didn't...oh, no." He closed his eyes and put his head in his hands. "My fault. It's _my fault_."

She knelt in front of him, one hand ruffling the hair at the nape of his neck. "I don't blame you so please don't blame yourself. I had planned on telling you that first night but we fell asleep then all that stuff happened. You know, you still haven't told me how you dislocated your shoulder." Her attempt at lightening the mood fell flat. "Rodney, please say something. I mean something besides 'it's my fault'."

He lifted his head, pulled her to her feet then into his lap. "_We _were going to have a baby? Wow!" His smile could have lit up the room. "That's so…wait! You drank beer and had wine with dinner that first night. You're not supposed to do that if you're pregnant, are you?"

She laughed and kissed him. "Silly man, you _are _incredibly clueless, aren't you?"

"Wh-wh-what do you mean?"

"While you were setting up camp I dumped the beer out. As for the wine, when you weren't looking I poured it back into the bottle."

"Oh. Well, what about those shots you take that are supposed to prevent, uh…"

"Ah, yes, the Depo-Provera." She shifted in his lap and put an arm around his neck. "I have always known that you were exceptional but this has proven it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Depo-Provera has a failure rate of 0.3%...or 2.6%, depending on who you ask. Your DNA must be something extraordinary for us to have conceived under such stringent conditions."

He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "I'm…speechless."

She raised both hands in the air and, with a greatly overdone Southern accent, she said, "Pr-_aise_ the Lord! It's a _miracle_!"

"Ha-ha. Very funny. So, if this happened once, it could happen again, right?"

"Yup. That's why, going forward, we will we using another form of birth control in addition to the Depo-Provera. At least until we decide we're ready to have kids. Assuming you want any in the first place."

"As I recall, you promised me a boy and a girl."

"You remember that?"

He nuzzled her neck. "Mmm-hmm. I also remember you said yes to my proposal and I plan on holding you to it. Though I didn't plan on asking you while piloting a Jumper with a concussion. And I had planned on having a ring."

She held her left hand up as if admiring a ring. "Hmm, Dr and Dr Jennifer and Rodney Keller-McKay. It has a nice ring to it. No pun intended." She stood up and took him by the hand, walking backward toward the bed. "I think we should try out this alternative form of birth control right now. Just to make sure it works, of course."

"Of course." They kissed and held each other tight. "Uh, Jennifer…"

"No, you can't put it on your resume."

"Okay. It was just a thought."

They never made it to the movie. Later that night, Rodney dreamt of a child dressed all in pink that smelled of baby powder and giggled when he bounced her on his knee. The child had Jennifer's brown eyes, his brown hair and chubby little cheeks that just begged to be kissed. Cuddled next to the woman he loved, he pulled her closer and sighed contentedly in his sleep.

**The End**


End file.
